Friday, July 16, 2010

Fairy Tales By the People, For the People






We're headed into another summer weekend, so I imagine most of you are wanting light reading today, if you are even stopping by here at all. For the summer, I'm not posting on weekends unless I feel really inspired so I will share these today.




These three illustrations are from The By the People, For the People: Posters from the WPA, 1936-1943 collection at the Library of Congress.  Here's more about the project:

The By the People, For the People: Posters from the WPA, 1936-1943 collection consists of 908 boldly colored and graphically diverse original posters produced from 1936 to 1943 as part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal. Of the 2,000 WPA posters known to exist, the Library of Congress's collection of more than 900 is the largest. These striking silkscreen, lithograph, and woodcut posters were designed to publicize health and safety programs; cultural programs including art exhibitions, theatrical, and musical performances; travel and tourism; educational programs; and community activities in seventeen states and the District of Columbia. The posters were made possible by one of the first U.S. Government programs to support the arts and were added to the Library's holdings in the 1940s.


All of the illustrations are very evocative of their time period.  I really love the simple graphic design of the Little Red Riding Hood.  I've been seeing it appear around the internet and had to learn more about it.  Then I found these other two along the way.   

2 comments:

  1. An interesting reading! Unfortunately I can't open the links, so I'll try tomorrow. I liked especially the Calendar!

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  2. What a neat find!

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